Page 179 of Caught in the Crossfire

“She really is,” I answered.

We drove up the rest of the road to the main compound buildings. Willow stood outside the medical ward, waving and smiling. Her hair was pulled back into a braid that swished down her back.

“Willow!” Leona called, returning the wave as I shut off my bike and pulled off my helmet.

Willow and I had bought this land after coming to the States, when she decided to create a haven for people who had been hurt like we had. When we were with the Irish, she’d become a doctor to help heal these wounds—a way for her to compartmentalize what happened and put her feelings into something good. This compound was just another way for her to do that.

Willow had a bad habit of taking care of everyone else around her, yet never herself. That’s why I’d done my best to help herand look out for her whenever I could spare time from my work with the Shadows. The money I’d made funded this place, and she ran it with the help of the Irish and the women who’d undergone treatment here.

“Leona.” Willow enveloped her in a big hug. “How are you doing?”

Leona gave her a crooked smile. “I’m doing okay, actually. The guys and I talked about what happened.”

Willow gripped her shoulders. “I’m glad. The girls chat is always open, if you need anything.”

Leona laughed. “More memes, please.” She stepped back, looking around at the buildings. “This place is incredible.”

“Thanks,” Willow replied before giving me a hug. “A lot of it is thanks to Wynn and his money.”

I rubbed my neck. The money I got from assassinating people. I hoped that one day, the weight of the good I’d done in the world would outweigh the bad, but I still had a long way to go. “You’re the one who does all the hard work.”

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be able to do this,” Willow said softly, hand on my shoulder. She turned back to Leona. “If I’m not at the clinic in Philly, you can usually find me here. I love this place.”

“Is Zoya here?”

Willow shook her head. “She’s managing some patients, but she wanted me to tell you a very begrudging hi.”

Leona laughed. “Hello to her, too. How have Konstantin and Kolya been with her in Philadelphia for so long? Helicopter brothers?”

Willow shrugged. “I haven’t met either of them yet. Apparently, they’ve been busy with your joint problems in New York. Zoya is happy to be out from under Konstantin’s thumb, and that’s all I need to know.”

Leona whistled. “Good luck when you do meet him. There’s a reason he and Ryuji are best friends.”

Willow rolled her eyes. “Oh, so he’s another idiot that I’ll be roped into taking care of, won’t I?”

“Probably,” I laughed.

“Great,” she said with a sigh. “Well, I have some good news. There are a few women who have agreed to speak with you both. They’re inside the main hall.”

She walked us through the compound, pointing out the different places and giving Leona a brief tour.

There was a dorm building, a recreation building, a main hall for social gathering and food, and a medical ward. On the edge of the compound were the armory and gym.

“How many people live here?” Leona asked.

“Right now we have sixty-five recovering survivors, many from the work you’ve been doing in New York. Some stay longer than others, but we hover around thirty to forty, so we’re a little on the full side. On top of them, we have twenty full-time employees who live and work here, anywhere from cooks and housekeeping to security and medical staff.”

“And the survivors can stay as long as they like?”

“As long as they like,” she said. “When they’re ready to leave, we help them find new homes or return to their old lives. If they want to stay, we train them to work around the compound in whatever capacity they like.”

“How many stay?”

“A few. Most people just want to move on.”

“I can understand that,” Leona said quietly. I slipped my hand into hers, squeezing.

I was well-acquainted with running and hiding, but I hoped to become the kind of man who could stand strong for her.